Onco-orthopedics

The Orthopaedic Oncology Unit at Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS specializes in the treatment of primary and secondary bone and soft tissue tumours. These tumours are rare, accounting for less than 1% of all cancers, but bone metastases are quite common. The most frequent malignant bone tumours include osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma, which primarily affect adolescents, and chondrosarcoma and multiple myeloma, which are more common in adults and the elderly. Soft tissue sarcomas can occur at any age and originate from cells in muscles, connective tissues, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, nerves, and fat tissue.

Common Conditions Treated:

• Primary Bone Tumours: Osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and multiple myeloma.
• Soft Tissue Sarcomas: Lipomas (benign) and aggressive malignant forms such as liposarcoma, fibrosarcoma, pleomorphic sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and angiosarcoma.
• Bone Metastases: Frequently originating from prostate, breast, and lung carcinomas, affecting areas like the vertebrae, femur, pelvis, ribs, humerus, and skull.

Treatment Approach: The treatment of these tumours involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The unit focus on three main areas:

1. Surgical Treatment: Resection of skeletal and soft tissue segments, followed by reconstruction using modular prostheses and tissues from the Tissue Bank.
2. Prevention of Complications: Prescribing aids to reduce the risk of fractures in patients with bone metastases.
3. Surgical Management of Pathological Fractures: Timely and appropriate surgical intervention to minimize patient immobilization.

Multidisciplinary Collaboration: The unit operates with a multidisciplinary team, including specialists from geriatrics, neurosciences, and orthopaedics. The surgical activity, which includes more than 200 procedures annually, utilizes advanced prosthetic technologies to reconstruct entire bones like the femur and humerus. The availability of the Bone and Tissue Bank within the hospital provides essential materials for reconstruction.